Contact-shoe



H. V. RUDOLPH.

CONTACT SHOE. APPLICATION man MAY 19, 1915. RENEWED JUNE 2,1920.

1,361,407, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

UNITED STATES HAROLD v. RUDOLPH, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

, CONTACT-SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

App1ication filed May 19, 1915, Serial No. 29,173. Renewed June 2,. 1920. Serial No. 386,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD V. RUDoLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Contact-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in contact shoes and has particular reference to a shoe for use on railway vehicles equipped with a system of automatic control, wherein the shoes are caused to repeatedly engage and disengage ramp rails along the trackway.

The present invention therefore has for its object to provide an improved construction of shoe and associated shoe-switch devices whereby to better withstand the strains to which such devices are subjected.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1, shows the improved shoe in side elevation, and the cover over the switch devices being in vertical section.

Fig. 2, illustrates the same in vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 3, shows a horizontal sectional plan on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, illustrates the shoe-switch contacts in top plan.

Fig. 5, shows a detail partly in section and partly in side elevation of the crosshead, its guides and associated devices.

Fig. 6, illustrates a sectional plan through the same,-the section being taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7, shows the detached cross-head in enlarged end elevation.

Fig. 8, illustrates the detached shoe.

Fig. 9, shows one of the guide blocks for the cross-head in perspective, and

Fig. 10, illustrates on an enlarged scale a set of switch contacts.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 11 designates a horizontal supporting bar on the vehicle to which the shoe is secured, and to the underside of which there is rigidly bolted a bracket 12, having four depending corner arms 13.

A perforation 14 is provided through the center of the bracket, and an annular channel 15 is formed in the upper side of the bracket, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The supporting bar 11 is provided with a circular hole 16 at the bottom of which is the annular channel 15 in the upper side of bracket 12 and the lower end of a cylindical casting 17, extends down into the circular hole 16 and seats in the annular channel. A flange 18 extends laterally from the cast ing and seats on the upper side of the supporting bar 11 and bolts 19 serve to rigidly secure the flange to said bar.

The casting 17 has a central chamber 20 extending vertically therein, and also has a horizontal plate 21 at its upper end with a central perforation 22 therein and an annular depending bearing sleeve 23 around said central perforation.

A stem 24 extends vertically through the central chamber 20, and has its lower end 25 projecting through the perforation 14, and its upper end 26 extending through the bearing sleeve 23, and projecting above the horizontal plate 21.

The extreme lower end of the stem is provided with a threaded stud 27 that screws into, and thereby rigidly engages a cross-head 28 which latter has position beneath the bracket 12 and between the depending corner arms 13 of the latter.

The cross-head has enlarged opposite ends 29; a central slot 30 extending therethrough from one end to the other; and a bolt hole 31 that extends cross-wise thereof and at right angles to the slot.

To provide a guide for the cross-head I employ two vertical side plates 32 which latter are secured by bolts 33 to the depending corner arms 13 on the bracket plate 12. Each side plate has a vertical recess 34: its inner side in which the enlarged ends 29 of the cross-head 28 project. Each side plate also has two horizontal slots 35 through which set bolts 36 project freely and the inner ends of these bolts enter and rigidly engage vertical guide strips 37 which have position at one side of the cross head whereby to take up wear that might occur at that point. p

The contact shoe proper has a lower bearing face 38 and a central cross-wise flange 39 which latter projects up into the central slot 30 of the cross-head. This flange 39 is provided with a perforation 40 which registers with the perforations 31 in the cross-head so that a bolt ll may pass through the registering perforations and rigidly secure the shoe to the cross-head.

It has heretofore been explained that the cross-head is carried on the lower end 25 of the stem 24 and that said stem extends up through the central chamber 20 and has its upper end 26 projecting through a perforation 22 in the horizontal plate 21. To permit the shoe to yield vertically I provide the stem 24 with a circular head 42 which latter has position in the chamber 20 and is movable vertically therein. A pin 43 passes through the stem and engages the head thereby securing the stem and head together. The upper side of the head is provided with an annular channel 44 and a coiled spring 45 encircles the stem and has its lower end seated in the channel of the head while its upper end receives the depending bearing sleeve 23 on the under side of the horizontal plate 21. It will thus be understood that the coiled spring 45 is inclosed in the chamber 20 and serves to press the stem, cross-head and shoe downwardly, but will yield to permit the shoe, cross-head and stem to move upwardly when the shoe rides up onto a ramp rail.

The horizontal plate 21 forms a bottom for a switch box in whichtheshoe-switch contacts are located.

The particular purpose and the number of contacts in this switch box are immaterial and may be varied, but in the present instance the upper end 26 of the shoe stem sustains a horizontal bar 46 and a plurality of movable contact plates 47 are carried by made from contact plates 50 across plate 47 to contact plate 51.

A wire 54 is connected to the upper end 26 of stem 24 so that when the shoe engages an energized ramp rail and picks up current such picked-up current may pass through the stem to wire 54-and be led to a binding post or other device so that the picked-up current can be utilized to maintain the automatic control devices on the vehicle while the contact plates 5051 and plates 47 are momentarily disengaged by the stem being elevated.

This picked-up current is usually sent ing down through said bar-opening and se-- cured to the upper side of said supporting bar and said member carrying a horizontal plate; a cover forming a detachable housing over said plate; a bracket secured to the under side of the supporting-bar and having an opening that communicateswith the.

interior of the cylindrical member; spaced apart. vertical guide plates carried by said bracket under the supporting bar; a crosshead having its opposite sides engaging and guided vertically by said plates; a shoe bolted to the cross-head; a stem having its lower end attached to the cross-head and extending up through the opening in the bracket and also through the cylindrical member and the said horizontal plate ;contacts carried by the upper end of the stem above the said horizontal plate, and contacts above said plate and in the detachable housing.

2. In an electric contact shoe, the combination with a horizontal supporting bar having a vertical opening therethrougb, ofa lower bracket secured to the under side of said bar around said vertical. opening and said bracket having an opening in register with the vertical bar-opening,-said bracket having four depending corner arms; vertical spaced-apart guide plates carried by said corner arms, adjustable guide strips carried by said plates; a cross-head between the corner arms of said bracket and guided by the 7 vertical guide plates and strips thereon; a contact shoe rigidly attached to the crosshead; a cylindrical member extending down through the vertical opening in the horizontal supporting bar and seated on the upper side of said lower bracket; a stem having its lower end attached to the cross-head and extending up through the bracket opening and also through the cylindrical member; contacts carried by the stem, and contacts above the cylindrical member. a V

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAROLD V. RUDOLP1I.

\Vitnesses: PORTER H. FLAUTT, BERTHA K. WALTER. 

